St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-24
A THIRD TEAM AEUtMLNT.

A THIRD TERM Al,Gj NENI.
The project Of a third term fol Gov
ernor NcEncrr WAS yesterday discussed
at considerable length by the lines
Democrat, hut, strange TO say. without
the slightest attempt 10 answer the al
sunents whi1a have been advanced
aguIns. IT. We have shown the rule ny
the record We have cited the rreceptS
and examples of Washington. jefferson.
Monroe, Madison and Jackson 10 prove
that the most eminent parIots ana
statesmen OF this country have
held that the tenure OF a chlei
executive should not exceed eight
years. We have called attention to the
fact that General Grant, with all his
great popularity aud party strength
was unable, though he desired 1t, to Sc
cure third term. We have quoted from
the tirS5 Constitution of the state
of Louisiana the artlr.e " hlch declared
that Il he Governor shall b. lnel$7nle
for the succeeding 1ouI years after the
expiration OF the time for which he
shall have been e!cCfed.' We have
shown that tins provision WAS repeated
III every constitution OF TINS
State from ISL to 1'0i. when
IT. was omitted for the first cine IN the
instrument framed by the Conyen1pu
presided over by Judge Dureti. We
nave shown that the RESTRICTION was
50 universally approved that. after
long trial. 1t was retained without
amendment and without debate IN a
convention composed Of such statesmen
and jurists as John Il. GrymeS, }. +.
Benjamin, Charles NJ. ConraG, George
Eustls. Bernard Marigny. Pierre SouEe,
4. Ma1ureau and Christian hOsellus.
Finally we referred To the fact that
the Constitution of the Southern Con
federacy limited the term of It's chief
executive 10 blX years, aud MADE MIN
ineligibl for a second term.
Having cited the rule and proved 1t by
this long array Of precedents and great
names, we next gave the reason which
induced it's eSta blishment, and winch
still appeals with conclusive force 10
the minds of patriotic and prudent mel
We said, Aug. 50, 49,. The power OF
appointment. though necessary, is q
dangerous power, as the people OF Lou
islaHa have discovered 10 their cost. Ii
tempts the Governor to use the patron
age of the State for the promotion of
his personal interests in politics Ii
leads him TO surround himself by
that sort OF cabal which IN
our time is called rug, and
1t expands A ring into a faction at the
expense of the independence OF the
party. aud TO the general detrlment of
the people. The able statesmen of the
ante bellum days OF Louisiana sought
to prevent their Governors from using
patronage to secure reelection by
making them ineligibl for two conseCu-
tive terms, and their foresight has
been demonstrated by the fact that the
omission OF the restriction has been fol
lowed by the abuse which they appre-
hended.n Ina word the rule ls pru-
Dental. 1t embodies a general prime! pie,
and is intended as Il safeguard against
b certain tendency in politics which
always and everywhere results dlstas-
astrously when it is LETT unchecked.
That is the argument made by the
Picayune. and by all the newspapers of
this State which are opposed to the
third term project. 1t is an argument
that has never been answered. The
Times-D Democrat has not met it at any
point. 1t has not found precedent or
reason for a violation of the rule in
this state. 1t has not shown that Gov
ernor McEnery's denomination is nece6-
sary on any account. 1t has not shown
or attempted to show that his renomina-
ton is necessary to secure the triumph
of the Louisiana Democracy in the APP
preaching election; neither has it shown
or attempted to show that his retention
of his present Office for another term of
four years is essential to the mainte-
nance of the majesty of the law, to the
dignity Of the State government, to the
impartial distribution of patronage, or
to the honor of the dominant party.
Therefore We say that the I'D. has
not touched the argument. The rule
which Jefferson, Madison, Monroe.
Jackson, Grymes, Mazureau and Ben
jamin held inviolable, thatjournal, with
amazing ilnpertinence, derides as "a
piece of pure demagoguery," or, which
comes to the same thing, it denounces
its advocacy as "a piece of pure dema-
goguery, mere clap-trap argument"
How stand the scales7 On one side we
find the maxims and the practice OF
Jefferson, Monroe and Jackson, and on
the other this remarkable utterance
from the organ of Messrs. McEnery and
Burke!
Let us do our contemporary perfect
Justice With All industry worthy Of
better cause, it has done what 1T could
to make out case. Some famous au-
thors have founded fiction upon tact,
but that ingenious journal has cM
ceiyed the brilliant idea of reyer
the,pl oeess, and has actually attemf
to found a facvupon fiction. In other
words, it has made . plea for a viola